The Concubine of the Main Wife - Chapter 6

“I fear Madam might take pity on me and not give it her all!”

 

 

Even with death looming, A’Lian couldn’t resist a sharp tongue. She deliberately acted brazenly, loosening her undergarments to reveal the pink lotus embroidered on her bellyband.

 

 

Zhen Yao’s dark eyes flickered inadvertently, catching a glimpse of spring in full bloom.

 

 

“You schemed your way into the Su residence. Was it just for a night of pleasure with me?”

 

 

At the sound of her voice, A’Lian gazed up at her with tender eyes, her delicate hand slowly caressing the beautiful face she had long yearned for.

 

 

“Madam is exquisitely beautiful, unforgettable at first sight. A’Lian always thought herself above the common folk, yet upon meeting a goddess like Madam, even I have become a fool.”

 

 

Yet A’Lian’s lover-like murmurs did not move Zhen Yao in the slightest.

 

 

“Is that so? But you are a concubine with a child, while I am a chaste mistress with none. A’Lian, we are natural enemies.”

 

 

“Madam—”

 

 

So this was how Madam Su truly saw her. A’Lian’s heart ached with sudden bitterness.

 

 

But Zhen Yao wasn’t wrong. Who would easily trust an outsider concubine? The moment one touched her, accusations and traps might follow.

 

 

“Cover yourself with the silk quilt. I have no interest in you!” With that, Zhen Yao moved to roll off her.

 

 

“Madam is truly so cruel, toying with me again and again.”

 

 

A’Lian clung to her stubbornly, leaving no room for escape.

 

 

In an instant, warmth and fragrance filled her embrace, a soft jade exuding delicate allure.

 

 

“You’re mad!”

 

 

“I am perfectly lucid. As the saying goes, spring nights are fleeting. Why must Madam hesitate?”

 

 

The intimacy she had dreamed of day and night was right before her. A’Lian could no longer care for anything else; all she wanted was to indulge without restraint.

 

 

But just as her smooth skin tingled with anticipation, a pair of dark eyes gazed down at her with scrutiny.

 

 

“Where do you truly come from?” How could someone be so bewitchingly demonic?

 

 

A’Lian froze momentarily before pressing her red lips together. “Jiangnan.”

 

 

“I’ve been to Jiangnan, yet never met a woman like you.”

 

 

Zhen Yao’s fingertip traced lightly over the dip of her waist, sending a ticklish shiver through the woman beneath her.

 

 

“Fate truly binds us. Why else would heaven have us meet?”

 

 

Breathless, A’Lian’s slender arms instinctively cradled Zhen Yao’s back. With such softness in her arms, she paid no heed to the first half of the other’s words.

 

 

“A’Lian, being my concubine is far better than being Master Su’s!” Zhen Yao’s expression was inscrutable.

 

 

“Madam is beautiful and kind. How could that dead man compare? Why mention him at a time like this?”

 

 

A’Lian eagerly tightened her embrace, their bodies melding seamlessly. Even the most rigid and proper person would falter under such temptation.

 

 

What an extraordinary little minx. Zhen Yao broke into a sweat, for the first time silently reciting Buddhist scriptures in agitation.

 

 

Neck to neck, pressed close and burning.

 

 

“A’Lian, let go!”

 

 

Some mistakes could not be allowed to persist.

 

 

A’Lian paid Zhen Yao’s words no mind. After all, things had already gone this far. But just as she leaned in to kiss the other’s earlobe, her hands were abruptly pinned to her cheeks.

 

 

“Must Madam use such force? Could it be that only this way brings her pleasure.”

 

 

“Silence!”

 

 

Faced with Zhen Yao’s formidable self-restraint, A’Lian trembled with humiliation and resentment. Heaven knew she had never shamelessly offered herself like this before.

 

 

But now that she lay on the chopping block, the butcher’s blade would fall whether she willed it or not!

 

 

Her eyes reddened, her voice hoarse with emotion as she said, “Madam only knows of my audacious lust, yet does not realize it is only upon meeting you that I become so wanton. The entire household praises Madam for her grace, but I say rather than seeking the favor of others with warmth, why not indulge your little sister tonight?”

 

 

“What a silver tongue you have,” Zhen Yao murmured, gripping her slender fingers without blinking. “And how exactly would you have me indulge you?”

 

 

A’Lian’s lashes fluttered like wings, her limbs coiling around the other like vines.

 

 

“However Madam pleases!”

 

 

Before the words had fully left A’Lian’s lips, an inexplicable fury surged in Zhen Yao’s heart.

 

 

“Is this how you’re accustomed to currying favor?”

 

 

With that, Zhen Yao wrenched herself free from the other’s grasp, coldly pinning her against the bed.

 

 

“What does Madam mean by this?” A’Lian whispered. “Could it be you disdain A’Lian for drifting rootless for so long…?”

 

 

Enough. Some things need not be spoken outright.

 

 

A’Lian’s disappointment was undeniable. After all, in three days’ time, she would have to act. Chen Rong would send men into the estate to assist her. When that day came, she and Madam Su would only grow further apart.

 

 

Zhen Yao turned her back, her heart aching faintly for the other woman. But some reactions were becoming impossible to suppress, and so she had no choice but to harden her heart.

 

 

“Indeed. Were it not for your pregnancy, how could someone like you ever enter my chambers?”

 

 

The words hung in the air like a blade. The room fell deathly silent. A’Lian even stifled her breath.

 

 

What was she to do? She was lowly, after all.

 

 

Bitter tears welled violently in her eyes, but pride and dignity refused to let them fall.

 

 

Meanwhile, Zhen Yao couldn’t help but glance sideways, moonlight through the bed curtains casting a faint glow on those trembling, delicate shoulders.

 

 

How quickly things had changed. In just a few days, her heart had already begun slipping beyond her control.

 

 

Yet fate was cruel. They were destined to pass each other by.

 

 

What A’Lian mistook for disgust was, in truth, an extraordinary leniency hidden beneath icy detachment.

 

 

Two hearts, each adrift in the sleepless silence of the night.

 

 

The night watchman’s drum sounded. Midnight slipped away unnoticed.

 

 

For the first time, A’Lian was wounded by love. She didn’t want to admit it, but neither could she deny it.

 

 

She was hopelessly infatuated with a woman who did not love her.

 

 

Their first meeting had been unforeseen. Sharing a bed had left her imagination running wild.

 

 

They say forced fruit is never sweet, but after thirsting for so long, how could she bear to watch it ripen and wither untouched?

 

 

No, Ning A’Lian was no benevolent saint!

 

 

If the fruit had to be forced, then she would force it with all her might.

 

 

A’Lian had always acted faster than she thought. Just as Zhen Yao was grappling with tangled threads of remorse, she yanked the woman down beside her with the reckless courage of one ready to burn the world.

 

 

“What are you doing?”

 

 

In the darkness, faced with Zhen Yao’s stunned demand, A’Lian curled her lips in triumph.

 

 

“Naturally, something joyous!”

 

 

Zhen Yao froze, then snapped, “How dare you?”

 

 

A cold, mocking laugh cut through the air. Not only did A’Lian act, she even nipped teasingly at Zhen Yao’s flushed cheek.

 

 

“Madam, I’m afraid you’ll have to reconsider who I am.”

 

 

The dagger was unsheathed. Lust took the reins, and cowardice turned bold.

 

 

Yet after a brief silence, Zhen Yao suddenly laughed. Her voice was melodious, like pearls rolling across a jade plate, so sweet it could melt bones.

 

 

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

 

 

At a time like this, she should have been curling into the blankets, shielding herself not so composed. A’Lian wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she sensed something terrifying in that laughter.

 

 

It was as if, the moment she’d fully abandoned restraint, the once-proper Madam Su had ceased to be the woman she’d thought she knew.

 

 

“You’re offending me. Can’t I even smile?”

 

 

Zhen Yao turned defense into offense, gripping her chin before stripping away all her clothes in front of A’Lian’s stunned gaze.

 

 

“Madam is acting like a rogue.”

 

 

The tables had turned in an instant, and now it was A’Lian clutching her chest in shock.

 

 

“Hmm, so are you going to report me to the authorities or scream for help?”

 

 

Even if A’Lian had been determined to go all out, being toyed with in return was absolutely unacceptable!

 

 

“You… you’re not a proper madam!”

 

 

“And what about you? Are you some proper concubine?”

 

 

Zhen Yao propped herself up slightly, staring unblinkingly at A’Lian. Whether it was the intensity of her gaze or A’Lian’s own guilty conscience, the latter inexplicably grew docile.

 

 

“I regret this. Get off me!”

 

 

“A’Lian, I’m not some guard dog you can summon and dismiss at will. Why should you get what you want whenever you want it? Now the tides have turned I’m the one in control!”

 

 

Good heavens, the aloof beauty from their first meeting had suddenly become so domineering and sinister.

 

 

A’Lian trembled like a startled deer, swallowing nervously as her confidence inexplicably waned.

 

 

“Madam, dear madam, I… this lowly concubine is with a child. I fear I cannot serve you.”

 

 

Though she had been desperate for intimacy earlier, A’Lian hadn’t truly prepared to be led around by the other woman. Moreover, in that fleeting moment, she began to feel an inexplicable dread, fearing that she might fail in her mission this time.

 

 

Right now, the keys to the Su family’s treasury were firmly in Madam Su’s hands!

 

 

The thought made A’Lian want to strangle herself. She had been so caught up in chasing pleasure that she had forgotten the most important task.

 

 

Well, deception was deception, after all.

 

 

The joys of passion were like morning dew fleeting. Sooner or later, she would leave without a backward glance, so why not let them both enjoy some sweetness while they could?

 

 

At the time, A’Lian thought herself clever with her little schemes, unaware that she was sowing the seeds of immense regret for the future.

 

 

“What a fine excuse—’cannot serve.’ Yet you were the one provoking me earlier. If I recall correctly, someone said not to worry about her condition.”

 

 

“Ah, this lowly concubine has a loose tongue.”

 

 

A’Lian knelt smoothly, her demeanor gentle and submissive.

 

 

Fortunately, Zhen Yao had always been patient, reciting Buddhist sutras in her mind until her fiery passion gradually cooled. Only when her thoughts cleared did she quietly return to her own side.

 

 

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension.

 

 

Until A’Lian suddenly asked, “By the way, the old madam has asked you to take me to see the treasury tomorrow.”

 

 

Zhen Yao’s brow furrowed instantly, though her tone remained neutral. “Oh? Is that so? Does the old madam not trust me, or have you been scheming behind my back?”

 

 

“Madam, don’t slander me! How could a mere concubine like me have any ill intentions?”

 

 

Hmph, this cunning little fox.

 

 

“What do you want to see? The Su estate will be yours sooner or later anyway.”

 

 

A’Lian rolled her eyes in frustration. If only it really were hers, she’d make sure to claim the mistress of the house first.

 

 

“Madam, stop teasing me. Everyone knows the old madam guards the place like a fortress. When I think about it, you’re the only one in this household who treats me kindly. Otherwise, how would I dare to reveal my true self so shamelessly in front of you?”

 

 

“True self? Lust incarnate, or something else unspeakable?”

 

 

A’Lian was exasperated, but as she struggled to explain, she failed to notice Zhen Yao drawing close again.

 

 

“I just admire you, Madam. How could you paint a proper young lady like me as some lecherous villain? I won’t stand for it!”

 

 

“A’Lian, you’re being naughty.” Zhen Yao pressed a kiss to her delicate, pink eyelids.

 

 

“Madam—”

 

 

A’Lian trembled as she tightened her embrace, only to hear the door creak open softly. Qing’er, who was on night duty, yawned and asked, “It’s quite late. Why are the mistress and the concubine still awake?”

 

 

Perhaps their voices had unconsciously risen earlier, drawing the attention of the little maid on duty.

 

 

Flustered, A’Lian gripped Zhen Yao’s arm tightly, nestling against her chest like a shy young bride. In the brief silence, she faintly sensed Zhen Yao’s unease and quickly spun a lie: “It’s nothing, don’t worry about us. The mistress and I were just playing around!”